Thermal cigarette tar remover

ABSTRACT

A device which is open on both ends, whereby on one end lies the cigarette holder (Receptacle) ( 54 ), which is a high temperature section. The opposite end the exhaust ( 34 ) is a low temperature section.  
     Cigarette smoke must pass through the device via a series of concentric rings shutters ( 40 ), ( 42 ), ( 44 ), ( 46 ) and ( 48 ) which are radially mounted on a spirally grooved axle ( 52 ), lying centrally and longitudinally inside a fractionating chamber housing ( 38 ) before the cigarette smoker inhales the smoke.  
     The concentric rings shutters and the spirally grooved axle act synergistically in removing the volatile chemicals contained in the cigarette smoke commonly referred to as tar.

BACKGROUND

[0001] 1. Field of Invention

[0002] This invention relates to a process and a device to remove and reduce volatile chemicals generally referred to as tar from the cigarette smoke.

[0003] 2. Description of Prior Art

[0004] The ordinary cigarette smoker finds himself or herself caught in the web of the Tobacco growers, the cigarette Manufacturers, the Advertisers, the Anti-Smoking lobbies, and the Health experts. To smoke or not to smoke is the dilemma.

[0005] Over the ages Tobacco has been used in various preparations. It has been used in the form of snuff being stuffed inside the nostrils or inside the mouth or both. However, smoking is by far the commonest usage, either by a pipe, or paper rolled cigarette sticks and cigars. Paper rolled cigarette sticks outstrips all other forms of tobacco use, the world over.

[0006] As a result of association of ill-health and tobacco usage, efforts have been made, and continue to be made to reduce the contents of the cigarette smoke, that eventually reach the lungs and hence the circulatory system of the smokers.

[0007] No single process, method or device has been developed which can be said to make tobacco smoking a safe habit. All the present efforts are aimed at only reducing the smoke contents. Fibrous filters are the norm. They are not the ultimate solution. A solution can only come from total quiting. However, to make every smoker to quit may never be achievable despite the well documented effects on health, associated with tobacco smoking.

[0008] The only thing that can be achievable and measurable is the process of removing and reducing the volatile chemical content of the cigarette smoke. It is significant to note that raw tobacco is biodegradable and completely harmless until it is ignited in the process of smoking. It is in this knowledge that efforts have continued in the search for methods and devices that would serve to reduce Tar content in the smoke before it is inhaled.

[0009] In one device for purifying tobacco smoke, patented by Kawamura WO81/01356. fibrous substances are used to purify the smoke. He gives such substances as tissue paper or the like being used inside his Device. However, the process applied in his case increases, the foreign materials in the pathway between the smoldering cigarette and the smoker. It is common knowledge that fibrous materials such as tissue paper are never dust proof. In effect, this process would tend to raise the particulate bodies in the cigarette smoke. Furthermore, in the industrial manufacture of such fibrous substances, an array of chemicals are used and residual traces of such chemicals cannot be totally eliminated. The aim of a good tar remover is to reduce and minimize any sort of chemicals and not to do anything that would introduce any extraneous substances. The ideal Tar remover should deal with only cigarette smoke and minimize any chance of chemical reactions inside the device, or any chemical additions.

[0010] Kenyan patent KE 68 to Ndii (1998) discloses the use of non-reactive materials in all the areas coming into contact with vapourized chemicals in the cigarette smoke. The invention also discloses the use of a condenser rod, which acts as the major condenser as the cigarette fumes pass naturally through the device.

[0011] However, the disadvantage in this method is that, by allowing the cigarette smoke to pass freely over the stainless steel rod, the efficiency of Tar removal is poor. Another disadvantage is that the chambers in the device are not tightly fitted, thus allowing un-purified smokes to pass freely to the smoker. The invention does not discloses the use of any breather holes. As a result, continuous usage would lead to the heating of the device's entire embodiment, in effect negating the envisaged lowering of temperature of the cigarette smoke as it passes through the device.

[0012] Accordingly, disadvantages in Kawamura's invention, WO81/01356 are:

[0013] (a) the introduction of fibrous tissue in the pathway of the cigarette smoke.

[0014] (b) the risks of chemical reactions between the volatile chemicals in the smoke and those used in the manufacturer of the tissue papers.

[0015] The main disadvantages in Ndii's invention KE 68 (1998) are:

[0016] (a) Un-impeded flow of cigarette smoke over a strip of condensers rod, lowering the efficiency of tar removal.

[0017] (b) Loosely fitted chambers leading to inhalation of unpurified smoke.

[0018] (c) Lack of breathers holes to cool the device, leading to a rise in temperature in the devices embodiment leading to reduced efficiently during continuous use.

OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES

[0019] Besides the objects and advantages of the condenser rod method of removing tar in cigarette smoke described above, the present invention offers several objects and advantages as follows:

[0020] (a) to provide increased surface area, by the use of concentric ring shutters, serially placed along the fractionating column.

[0021] (b) to provide longer use time of the device before it is clogged up, hence reducing the number of times needed to clean it.

[0022] (c) to provide vapour-tight assemblage by use of screw-threads ensuring that only processed cigarette smoke is inhaled.

[0023] (d) to provide breather holes along the temperature gradient of the fractionating chamber increasing the efficiency of the device.

[0024] (e) to provide multiple shutters in the fractionating column to further reduce the possibility of inhaling foreign particles which may be present in the fibrous filter or on the tobacco leaves for non-filter cigarettes.

[0025] (f) to provide value for money by enabling the smokers to smoke the whole cigarette without the risk of burning fingers and lips.

DRAWING FIGURES

[0026] In the drawings from FIG. 1 to FIG. 5 the same number is used for the same component of the device.

[0027]FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section of the device, along the central longitudinal axis.

[0028]FIGS. 2A to FIG. 2C show the face view of a concentric ring shutter, the assembly of the concentric rings shutters on the central axle, and the central axle separately.

[0029]FIG. 3 shows the longitudinal view of the fractionating column with the concentric shutters rings insitu, inside the fractionating chamber.

[0030]FIG. 4 shows the positioning of the diametrically opposed breather holes along the temperature gradient. It also shows the position of the piston-head of the fractionating chamber, which provides a vapour-tight seal between the saturation chamber, and the fractionating chamber.

[0031]FIG. 5 shows the first concentric ring shutter which separates the cigarette holder (Receptacle) and the smoke saturation chamber. Reference Numerals in Drawings 10 Concentric Ring 34 Exhaust duct   Diaphragm 36 Return Spring 12 Saturation chamber 38 Fractionating chamber Housing 14 Fractionating chamber 40 Concentric Ring Shutter 16 Breather Hole 42 Concentric Ring Shutter 18 Breather Hole 44 Concentric Ring Shutter 20 Breather Hole 46 Concentric Ring Shutter 22 Breather Hole 48 Concentric Ring Shutter 24 Screw threads 50 Piston head 26 Chamber Housing 52 Spirally Grooved Fractionating 28 Device Housing   Column axle 30 Radiator Coil 54 Cigarette Holder (Receptacle) 32 Device Handle

SUMMARY

[0032] The Thermal cigarette Tar Remover device, thus comprises of a fractionating column consisting of radial concentric shutter rings mounted on a spirally grooved axle which lies at the center of the fractionating chamber, and occupies most of its length.

[0033] Description FIGS. 1 to 5

[0034] The embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 (longitudinal view). The device comprises of two main sections, the hot section and the cold section. The hot section 12 (FIG. 1) provides a chamber where cigarette fumes from the smoldering cigarette held inside the receptacle 54 (FIG. 1) are trapped and cooled by the chambers housing 26 (FIG. 1) which is made of a material of high thermal conductivity. When the smoker inhales the smoke, a pressure reduction in the device occurs. As a result the cigarette fumes move from the saturation chamber into the fractionating chamber, which is referred to as the cold section of the device 14 (FIG. 2B).

[0035] The piston-head of the fractionating chamber 50 (FIG. 2B) provides a vapour-tight junction, preventing any escape of the cigarette fumes, and thus allowing the fumes to enter only into the fractionating chamber 14, where the processing of the fumes takes place.

[0036] At this point it must be noted that the cigarette smoke is a great mixture of chemicals in vaporized form. Among the chemicals contained in the smoke are, ordinary air, water vapour, volatile oils, carbon monoxide, Soot, Nicotine, Hydrogen cyanide, phenols, Resophenols, Benzopyrene, Polonium 210 and Pyroligneous acid, generally called cigarette tar.

[0037] It should be noted further that the gaseous molecular velocity is related to its molecular weight, when the temperature and pressure remain the same. However, in the present situation of cigarette smoke the temperature and pressure are not constant. Through inhalation the pressure of the molecules is lowered and hence their velocity. Also as a result of the higher temperature at the burning end of the cigarette, the molecules acquire a high energy level and hence their velocity increases.

[0038] The present invention therefore aims at lowering the energy of all the molecules contained in the cigarette smoke, and hence manage to trap them inside the device. This is achieved by creating impendace through the use of serial shutters along the path between the fire end of the burning cigarette and the smoking end (Exhaust) of the device 34 (FIG. 4).

[0039] Reduction of the molecular velocity and hence the molecular energy is further enhanced by maximizing the surface area along their path. This is synergized by having several shutters made of concentric rings 40, 42,44, 46,48 (FIG. 2B) mounted on a spirally grooved central axle 52 (FIG. 2C)

[0040] Further, the breather holes 16, 18,20,22 (FIG. 4) are put on the devices body, to facilitate the escape of heat energy removed from the molecules in the cigarette smoke by air currents and thus releasing that energy into the atmosphere.

[0041] When the above objectives are achieved, the heaviest molecules in the cigarette fumes begin to condensate. They are then trapped on the concentric rings shutters, as well as on the spirally grooved axle. Through this method of gaseous separation, the end result is that the cigarette smoke which finally is inhaled into the lungs has relatively less, molecules having the heaviest molecular weights and there include all the harmful chemicals of the cigarette smoke. This is the principle objective of the present invention.

[0042] From the description given above the advantages of the present invention are self evident.

[0043] (a) The device removes only the chemicals having large molecular weights. Ordinary gases of the air are not affected.

[0044] (b) The device uses only physical processes, by manipulating the behavior of gases.

[0045] (c) No chemical additives are used to achieve the desired effects.

[0046] (d) The device can be used over and over again, without a need to replace it.

[0047] (e) The device can be assembled easily as a disposable item or made as a long lasting and durable item.

[0048] (f) When the device is made as a lasting consumer item, only the concentric rings shutters, the axle, the fractionating chambers, and the saturation chamber require to be swabbed clean from time to time when the user deems it necessary.

[0049] (g) Easily available and safe solvents such as warm waster or ethanol are ideal cleansers.

[0050] Operation—FIGS. 1,3,5

[0051] In order to achieve the results specified in the design of the present device, several specifications must be met. First of all, there must not be leakage between the smoke saturation chamber 12 (FIG. 1) and the exhaust point, 34 (FIG. 5) Secondly concentric ring shutter 42 (FIG. 3), must lie against the piston head 50 (FIG. 3), of the fractionating chamber.

[0052] When the cigarette stick, with or without a filter, is affixed into the holder (receptacle) 54 (FIG. 1) and ignited, the process of tar removal begins. As the smoker puffs in, from the exhaust point 34 (FIG. 5), firstly he draws into his lungs air. This creates a sequence of pressure differential such that, the vapourized chemicals from the tobacco leaves at the smoldering tip of the cigarette travel along the stem of the cigarette stick, and settle firstly inside the saturation chamber. As the smoking process continues, the entire pathway, inside the device is saturated with nothing else except, cigarette fumes more carbon dioxide and little or no oxygen at all.

[0053] This state of changed partial pressures of individual gases in the cigarette smoke and falling temperature gradient triggers the sequence of events leading to condensation, and removal of the heaviest molecules from the cigarette smoke, in the form of tar.

[0054] Summary, Ramifications and Scope

[0055] The reader will see that the Thermal Cigarette Tar Remover is a simple and straightforward device to use. Once a cigarette stick is affixed inside the receptacle and ignited everything else works by itself.

[0056] The cigarette Tar Remover device has other advantages in that:

[0057] (i) by trapping volatile chemicals inside the device, pollution inside a limited environment is reduced.

[0058] (ii) it eliminates the risks of holding a cigarette stick with contaminated fingers which inadvertently may pass the contaminants along with inhaled smoke

[0059] (iii) it allows the smokers to enjoy the chosen cigarette without adding or removing the flavour of a given brand.

[0060] (iv) It gives continuous usage over time, without a need to replace any component.

[0061] Inspite of the specificity of Tar reduction process. the device does not limit itself to any particular brand of cigarettes. The diameter and the depth of the cigarettes stick holder can be varied to accommodate any type or size of a cigarette stick and the tar removal process will remain the same. Similar results will be achieved. As evidenced by the foregoing description of the device and its mode of operation, the reader will see that the embodiment of the device is not limited to specific materials. So long as the cigarette holder (receptacle) 54 (FIG. 1) the saturation chamber 12 (FIG. 1) the fractionating chamber 14 (FIG. 1). and the concentric rings shutters 40. 42,44,46,48 (FIG. 2B) are made of materials of high thermal conductivity the range of materials for single or mass production of the device can vary from stainless steel to silver and gold depending on the consumer's interest and preference. The only requirement is that the materials chosen should not chemically react with the cigarette fumes. 

1. A device and a process to remove volatile chemicals from cigarette. smoke. comprising of a fractionating column inside the device.
 2. A fractionating column of claim 1 comprising of five concentric rings shutters mounted on a common axle.
 3. An axle of claim 2 bearing spiral grooves long its length and which serves to hold the concentric rings shutters along its longitudinal axis
 4. A device having two pairs of breather holes diametrically opposed. One pair occupying the high temperature gradient position and the second pair occupying the lower temperature gradient position along the fractionating column.
 5. A device having two chambers, one chamber acting to saturate Vaporized chemicals and the other one to facilitate fractionating and Condensation of the volatile chemicals contained in the cigarette smoke. 